


Progress

by PurpleSunsetBlue



Category: Nancy Drew (TV 2019)
Genre: Angst and Feels, F/M, Frank and Joe Hardy are heavily hinted, POV Multiple, Spoilers, Very slow burn of Ace/Nancy?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:42:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25544578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurpleSunsetBlue/pseuds/PurpleSunsetBlue
Summary: What may have happened in the final four episodes after 1x18. Nancy is working through some feelings right now.
Relationships: subtle George Fan/Ned Nickerson
Comments: 43
Kudos: 30





	Progress

It was a beautiful Maine day to have a funeral. The Arctic blast blowing fiercely on the mass of mourners all bundled in their warmest black clothes, was almost offset by the warm sun peeking through the graveyard trees. 

But Diana Marvin was livid. How dare some lowly mechanic take away her favorite nephew! The moment she found out the sick, twisted reason Joshua Dodd had for murdering Owen she was going to promptly end his life, jail be damned. He was killed in the safety of, what she had naively assumed, her own residence! _During her birthday party filled with too many of her disappointing relatives!_

As the reverend droned on, the angrier Diana became. Owen did nothing to Joshua, at least from what she knew. _Had Owen ever frequented Joshua’s establishment?_ She would remind the investigator about that. Besides, Owen was a good boy: he rarely interacted with the Hudsons, he was scandal free - a rarity among her household - and brought a sizable cash flow into the Marvin fortune. 

Diana’s thoughts were suddenly interrupted by pained sobs emitting from a young woman next to her. 

Bess Marvin. 

Diana laid a hand on the woman’s sheer tights. _Bess Marvin, her saving grace._ Her new heir - with an attachment to police information, a joyous advantage Diana had already started to use. Oh the incredible amount of information that Diana was soon to be privy to!

Bess looked up at her aunt, her tears testing her waterproof makeup, and gave a small, watery smile. She had known him for less than four months but Bess would forever remember the kindness Owen had shown her during a time where her dreams of a steady family were sinking. Now, Diana was accepting her into the fold and actually wanted Bess to become a Marvin.

Diana patted her knee, the only dignified comfort she would give out at a place like this, before turning back to Owen’s beautiful marble gravestone. Owen was gone but he somehow managed to find this scrap of a scorned family history and spin her into a positive. He had unwittingly found his replacement and Diana’s protegee to mold from the ground up.

The reverend finished, now inviting everyone to stand. Reinvigorated by her reflections, Diana glanced at Bess once more as Bess gathered herself. Yes, everything was going to fall perfectly into place. The plans forming in Diana’s mind were becoming crystal clear and most importantly - tangible. As soon as she found the motive behind Owen’s death, Joshua Dodd and whomever involved, were going to face a reckoning like no other. 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

_This is all my fault Owen,_ Nancy Drew thought, hands clenching within her pockets of her coat. A coat which she had just worn a few months back to her mom’s - no Kate’s - funeral. Not wanting to intrude, Nancy had stood in the back with guests as Owen was laid to rest.

 _Oh God._ She thought she was done with crying, at the Marvin mansion, at the police station, on the rooftop when… 

Joshua Dodd - her uncle. Nancy bowed her head, hoping the tears would run off her face and carry her away with them too. Just another family member with misplaced fury to call her very own.

This was all too muddled for Nancy. She dealt in clear, definitive emotions. Stressed or calm. Happy or sad. At this point, Nancy thought she’d be able to figure out her feelings, like a case - make a list, find evidence, and then wrap it up in a neat bow. Fact or fiction. Truth or lie. 

Maybe, it wasn’t the fact that her dad had thought he was protecting her. It was about the matter of time. Nineteen years and not a word about being adopted was mentioned to her, even as Kate lay on her deathbed. Was adopted even the right word? She could understand Carson’s worry and protectiveness towards the whole Hudson family drama ordeal but what about her feelings? A simple statement could have been made at any point during her childhood. _Nancy, sweetie, you’re adopted._ Afterwards, they would have gathered around the kitchen table and discussed it because that's how it went in the Drew family, Nancy thought bitterly, they talked it through. After all, Kate had been a guidance counselor. Would she have felt less betrayed back then? She needed time to sort all of this mess out. Nancy could accept that Carson’s intentions were in the interest of her safety, and even love if she let herself go that far, but she wasn't going to go back rushing into his arms. She wouldn’t admit it out loud but it felt almost cathartic to yell at her dad that night. It had been a chance to realize her pain and confusion and worry about the damage later.

Or maybe, this was more about trust, or lack thereof. Her trust in Carson was a never-ending rollercoaster, carefully building up in constant neat little hills, only to come plunging down. Nancy knew what was going to happen each time but couldn’t get off the ride. 

But that was where Owen had come in. She thought that by keeping him as separate as she could from the current messes in her life he wouldn’t get hurt. He was a fast, mind-numbingly pleasurable escape from talking and feelings and someone who was ready to help regardless of her odd requests or shaky plan. It was probably better that Nancy never got the chance to really know him. Still, what hurt Nancy the most was that he died protecting her from a truth that she barely accepted.

_I just want to…_ Nancy paused. _What the hell did she want?_

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Overall, not the worst funeral he had been to, Ace thought, scanning the crowd ahead for Bess. A tap on his arm interrupted the search. 

“Hey Ace,” Nick said, motioning with his head towards the woman standing next to him, “George and I are going to head back. You good?”

Ace nodded back. “Yeah. I’m just going to find Bess and see what’s happening from here.” He began to walk away, briefly spotting his plantanchor hovering next to her aunt, who was shaking hands with the reverend. 

“Ace!” George’s voice stopped him and he turned, ready to take instructions from his boss. George crossed her arms and frowned, mulling over her choice of words. “You have Nancy?” she said, her worry towards her friend evident. 

Ace nearly smiled. George’s bark was always worse than her bite. Edging towards two years of working alongside and for George, Ace was glad to watch her let people in. She deserved happiness and a long break, especially after Ryan Hudson which he still regretted not acting upon discovering them. _Chief McGinnis had been all too happy to make him an informant,_ he reflected.

“I will,” he stated. George considered this for a moment, giving him a thin smile, and turned towards Nick, their hands clasped.

Regaining sight of Bess, he quietly skirted around the various family and friends of Owen Marvin, all the while ignoring the buzzing of his phone in his pocket. Had this been last year, or even the few days after waking from his coma, Ace would have leapt into action at the mere hint of an incoming text. For the time being, his brother was going to have to wait. 

Finally, he reached her. Tear-stained and clearly freezing even with the sun, Bess was wrapping her coat tighter. Without thinking, Ace pulled her into a hug. Once this mess was over, he vowed to find a way to bring Bess back to her bubbly, cheerful self. Maybe he could pay for one of her and Lisbeth’s date nights. For a few seconds, all was quiet as Bess clung to him and Marvin family members left.

Bess stepped back and smoothed the front of her dress. “Sorry about Owen,” he offered, “I know you had gotten close with him.”

She wiped away a stray tear. “Thank you Ace. I just can’t believe he’s gone you know?” 

He shook his head. “George and Nick just left and I’m gonna get Nancy. You want to come with?” Ace suggested, hoping to raise her spirits. _They all needed food...crispy fries sounded especially good._

She lowered her voice, eyes scanning the lingering crowd, and mumbled, “Aunt Diana wants me back for the reception.” 

Ace struggled to keep an understanding expression. Besides Owen, his brief interactions with the extended Marvin household had left him uneasy, but he supported Bess because he knew her deep desire for a family. 

“Need backup?”

“I think I’ll be alright...but after this I’m going to need to do so much shopping. I need a new business suit for a meeting that Aunt Diana wants me to go to next week.” Bess patted his arm before he could say anything more and headed towards a nondescript black town car Diana was getting into. 

Ace watched his best friend walk away as his phone buzzed again. _What do you want?_

Scanning the three messages, Ace noted the urgency in the hidden message woven through them and groaned. His brother couldn’t wait. Remembering the location from a weekend vacation when he was twelve, Ace hoped that his car, Florence, was up for the journey because time was of the essence. 

Now, all he had to do was find Nancy.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

“How are you?” 

Nancy looked up. Ace stood in front of her, his shadow touching hers. 

She shrugged, not trusting herself to say anything more. She had come to her conclusion. The people closest to her always ended up getting hurt no matter what she did. She always had, no, needed, to find the truth, to pull on some invisible string and find out what was at the end of it. Thanks to her pulling, her father was not actually her father, her biological father was a spoiled brat, both of her mothers were dead, gone too soon, and now so was Owen. 

Out of her peripheral, Nancy saw Ace feel around his jacket pockets and pull out his car keys. 

“Take a drive?” he invited. She turned towards him. Other than a raised eyebrow, his face was unreadable. 

_An escape,_ was her first thought. “Sure,” she intoned, voice brittle with pain. Nancy hesitated, clearing her throat. Anywhere but an increasingly suffocating Horseshoe Bay had to be better. Plus, she was going with Ace. Ace was someone solid, someone she could rely on and trust. The amount of people like that in her life right now were in short supply. 

Trying to put forth a braver face, Nancy’s mouth flicked upwards. “Let’s go.”

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

“Why are we heading upstate?” she asked, hoping to break the silence. The forest around them was becoming dense and rocky slopes becoming steeper.

After what seemed like an eternity, Ace murmured, “I got a message from my older brother.” Nancy’s head whipped around. 

“You have a -” she was suddenly cut off as Ace abruptly turned into the gravel parking lot of an abandoned inn named TWISTED CANDLES, boasting vacancy on its rotting sign. 

“A motel?” Nancy questioned. Her interrogation of Ace about his unmentioned family member was going to have to happen at a later date, preferably during the long car ride back.

Ace closed his car door and glanced up from his phone, grimacing. “Yep.” 

_Well okay then,_ she thought. It shouldn’t have surprised her but with Ace, everything was. She would not admit it to them but Nancy was confident that she had mostly figured out Bess, George, and Nick. But with Ace, the minute she uncovered a new tidbit from a simple statement, she was thrown. Every time she was certain she had figured out a small piece of him, he went in another curious direction. Not that it was bad though. 

Nancy trailed behind Ace as he marched towards the end of the motel’s left wing to a wooden door, its white paint peeling, labeled #2. Ace knocked loudly, the noise echoing around them. Somewhere off in the distance, birds screeched in response. 

“Your brother lives here?” Nancy asked. While she had noticed another set of faint tire markings arriving and leaving the motel, the room’s window was blocked from the outside with sheets of plywood. They had to be the only people around for miles. 

“I sure hope not,” Ace replied, “or this is about to be awkward.”

Quickly taking a step back, Ace then rushed forward and kicked the hotel door open. Without so much as a glance to Nancy, he stepped in the room, splinters falling softly behind him to the concrete below. It was a pretty solid break-in considering she had done the same maneuver on a case two years ago.

Nancy raised her eyebrows as she crossed the broken threshold. “Don’t you have a Swiss Army knife?” 

Gleaning a few more details from him on the car ride back to The Claw that fateful night, she had learned what happened to Ace in the nursing home. Thank God someone else knew basic Morse code.

“Yeah but I gotta have fun sometimes right?” he answered.

Nancy glanced around the motel room which looked as if someone had simply taken the sheets off the two double beds and left it to age. A good few inches of dust carpeted the room and swirled in the air as Ace moved towards the back near the bathroom. 

“So what are we looking for?” Nancy stated, turning on her phone’s flashlight and crouching down to peer under both beds. Nothing but dust bunnies and spiders.

Standing back up, she found Ace by her side, his eyes raking over the cheap photo of a sunny beach hung over the wooden headboard.

“Does that palm tree look a little lumpy to you?” he mused.

At first glance, the beach appeared normal, the light from the doorway revealing signs of fading. Nancy moved closer, hopping onto the mattress, which squeaked in protest, and ran her hand over it. There was definitely a noticeable bump protruding from the palm leaves. Grabbing both sides of the photo frame, she flipped it over, revealing a small black flash drive duct-taped to the back. 

“Ace,” Nancy said, jumping down from the bed, “What exactly has your brother gotten into that he needed a flash drive? Is someone after him?”

Ace picked up the flash drive and turned it over in his hand, his silence speaking volumes. Nancy watched his face, recognizing familiar worry and a hint of fear. Whatever was on that drive held the type of information that Ace stayed closed-lipped about until today and his unknown brother who went to great lengths to hide it. _This might be why he hacked into a government database._

This was the start of a new case - she could feel it deep in her bones. First Lucy, then the Aglaeca, and now this. She was going to go to the ends of the Earth to find the truth no matter what, no matter how long the string she had to pull. No matter the inevitable wreckage that was going to come. 

And Ace...well, Nancy found comfort that her friend was going to be her side, every step of the way. She knew that with him, this was all going to work out.

With a renewed sense of purpose, Nancy held her hand out towards him, a small smile on her face. “Are you ready?” A pause, then, testing the waters, “Shall we make our escape?”

Ace looked up. Bright blue eyes traveling up from the flash drive, glancing at her lips before peering into her eyes, he seemed to be considering a million possibilities. 

“Let’s do it.”

When he took her hand, Nancy quietly let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding onto. 

And hands clasped they set off through the door, a palpable feeling of uncertainty about the future but a glimmer of hope nevertheless.

There was a new mystery to solve.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading this! First time actually putting a drabble I thought of into words! Hopefully I remained true to the characters because its been awhile since I rewatched the show. The italicized sentences are meant to be the direct thoughts of that character. I am really hoping for more Ace/Nancy scenes plus slow burn in season 2. Can't wait for some cute George/Nick content as well as Lisbeth/Bess!
> 
> All rights to characters go to their respective owners.


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